


So This Is L0ve

by Zombiegirl777



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Action/Adventure, Cat/Human Hybrids, Cross-Posted on Wattpad, F/M, Multi, Neko-Jin, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-12
Updated: 2020-12-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 21:00:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,925
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28033551
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zombiegirl777/pseuds/Zombiegirl777
Summary: Aki was just a normal girl, living a somewhat normal life until the Hyperion Corporation captured her for experimental testing purposes. Now she's being held under Handsome Jack's watch, waiting and wishing for someone to come save her... Will her chance encounter with a certain vault hunter be the miracle she's been praying for? Or will it be the beginning of the end on Pandora?
Relationships: Zer0 (Borderlands)/Original Character(s)
Kudos: 3





	1. First Impressi0ns

**Hello to anyone who was curious enough to click on this book** ヽ(^◇^*)/ **I'm sure you could already guess from the description/tags, but this is going to be a Zer0 x OC romance story <3 I'll also be writing as I go, so I'd love to hear feedback along the way about what you guys would like to see/different scenario suggestions, etc... Please don't be shy to leave me a review or comment, I love reading them!**

 ***Disclaimer: Credit for all fanart, screenshots and other images used in this book belongs to the original owner/artist! I just own my crazy plotlines** ≧◡≦

 **Also, in case anyone is wondering, this story starts in the middle of the Animal Rights quest ;n; I wish there was something we could have done in the quest beforehand... I was so sad about Bloodwing when I did my first playthrough** (╯︵╰,)

...

"This is a reminder that all Hyperion personnel are forbidden from making eye contact with test subjects..." A mechanical voice droned on, its hollow tones echoing through the facility as the prerecorded message continued. "Punishment for this crime will be switching places with said test subject."

Aki sighed while slumping against the wall of her enclosure, drawing her knees up to her chest and holding them tightly while wishing she was anywhere else. This awful facility was her prison, as well as the final resting place for so many other experiments...

 _Why even do any of this?_ Aki wondered, leaning down and closing her eyes as she began to retreat inwards. The more she thought, the more depressed she became, realizing the hopelessness of her situation while also questioning why she, out of all the people who were tested on here, had been so lucky. _I guess I should just be thankful to be alive..._ Aki mused, cringing slightly while thinking about what had happened to so many of the other test subjects. _I'm lucky the slag didn't change my physical appearance too much-_

The sound of an explosion nearby startled the woman as she jumped, looking up curiously before spotting a few clouds of smoke forming near one of the security doors. A chaotic sounding shout could be heard on the other side just before two blue slash marks appeared on the metal, making Aki tilt her head in confusion. In another instant shards of steel were flying forward, scattering themselves across the ground as a shadowy figure emerged from all the debris...

_Who... Who is that?_ Aki's inner voice spoke, taking in this strangers unique appearance as she moved to stand. She watched the mysterious fighter seem to vanish into thin air while she gasped, wondering what kind of tricks her eyes were playing on her. _Maybe all the Eridium IS starting to affect my mind..._

A second later the masked stranger reappeared, jumping over a nearby control panel before slicing through a gaurd's helmet easily, as if the amazing feat posed him no challenge whatsoever.

 _Is that one of the vault hunters that Jack's been yelling about lately?_ Aki thought, continuing to watch in awe as the fighter in black took down enemy after enemy. _Jeez, I can see why he'd be_ _so_ _worried..._ Her inner voice chuckled, secretly happy that at least someone on this planet was able to cause some problems for that psychopath. But before she could laugh about that too much, her musings were interrupted by a dark mask staring at her from the other side of her cell.

"Eeeek!" Aki squeaked, jumping back slightly as her dark green ears flattened themselves against the rest of her matching hair. Her bright eyes stared back towards the figure that was still observing her, both of them seemingly frozen for a moment until another voice broke the silence.

"What's going on in there amigo? You've still got one more area to wreck! What's the hold up?" The man on the communication device questioned, his rough voice echoing inside the small area loudly as a few alarms started to go off, followed by an alert from the facility's security AI.

"Intruder located in Sector 4....... Deploying reinforcements."

 _Definitely not good..._ Aki realized, shaking her head quickly before jumping into action. "Now's your chance!" She explained, talking fast while pointing towards an unsuspecting door in the distance. "If you take that exit, it'll lead you down a supply tunnel... You can still escape!"

"..."

The masked man paused, seeming to think for a moment as a hologram of three red dots ironically hovered just in front of his helmet. Aki couldn't help but smile the tiniest bit as she watched him, hoping he'd take her advice before it was too late...

"Ah, I see you found one of my many experiments!" Handsome Jack's voice blared suddenly, the amplified sound of it over the loudspeakers startling Aki as she cringed subconsciously. "Well, good for you... I hope that was enough to satisfy your curiousity before your very timely death." He finished, laughing confidently before deploying more loaders.

"Hurry! You don't have much time!" Aki urged, knowing firsthand how ruthless the CEO of Hyperion could be...

Instead of taking off and running like any sensible person would right now, Aki watched silently as the stranger placed a hand to his helmet, finally replying to his comrade's question with one of his own.

"There is a hostage/ Were you not aware of this?/ Seems like we should help." The masked man commented, waiting for an answer back while Aki took in his unique voice.

_Who is this guy...?_

"What?! I don't have any intel about that... But hey, anything we can do to mess with Jack's plans is fine by me!" The voice replied, slowly getting Aki's hopes up as she watched the fighter in front of her pull out his sword. "Hurry up though! I'm seeing tons of loaders heading your way... I'll try to take some of them out, but do what you need to do quick!"

"Hmm very well then,/ A rescue mission it is./ My sword will end them." The man's somewhat mechanical voice announced, his pattern of speach sounding oddly poetic and soothing despite the chaotic situation. With that promise now made, he swung his sword across Aki's cell bars effortlessly, cutting through the metal as the woman watched in fascination. The now ruined material clattered to the floor just as a few loaders began to arrive, stepping through the nearby doorway while beeping angrily.

"Oh no..." Aki's eyes widened as she watched one of the robots raise its gun, aiming right toward the pair before something amazing happened. The stranger in the black suit jumped forward instantly, swinging his sword down through one loader's arm before the appendage exploded. The next loader through the door suffered the same fate, losing both its arms, then its head as Aki noticed another bot behind the man creeping closer. "L-Look out!" She yelled, watching in horror as the man turned around just a second too late. "Noo!"

Aki screamed while the enemy used its forklift-like arm to stab the man, the yellow piece of metal sticking out through his back gruesomely as she burried her face in her hands. _No... No....... This is all my fault... I- Wha?!!_

Before Aki could mourn her rescuer's death too much, she felt herself being scooped up by someone, gasping and opening her eyes in panic. The woman nearly fainted as she came face to face with the dark mask from a moment ago, the man seeming absolutely fine despite what she had just witnessed. As if to prove that point, a red hologram displaying a :) materialized over his face covering, making Aki blink a few times as she still couldn't help but be a bit confused.

"H-How... Wh-what-"

"Their eyes decieve them,/ An illusion fools them all." He explained calmly, gesturing towards said illusion. Aki observed the amazing phenomenon as a hologram of the man currently holding her continued to fight, effectively distracting the surrounding enemies while the real warrior pulled out his rifle. "I move for the kill."

The last loader's head exploded as Aki watched the rest of it fall, looking back and forth from her rescuer to all the destruction that was currently surrounding them. She couldn't help but be impressed as both of them headed towards the supply tunnel, hopefully leaving this place far behind for good.

As if right on cue, a familiar voice from above broke the silence, giving Aki the creeps as his criptic warning stuck with her...

"I'm telling you vault hunter..." Jack's voice echoed, making the woman's ears retreat once more as she watched the familiar walls of the facility fade away. "If you let her out, Pandora will never be the same."


	2. The Crims0n Raiders

**A/N: Chapter twooo... GO!**

...

The masked assassin dashed over the rugged terrain, heading away from the facility's main building and towards one of the open containment areas, all the while still carrying Aki in his arms. He continued speeding down the hill before crossing over a small creek, hopping from rock to rock gracefully while also dogging a few skags...

 _He's so fast!_ Aki couldn't help but think, tightening her grip on his shoulders just as Handsome Jack's voice rang out from above.

"Whoahahaahaha... You didn't think you were gonna get out of here ALIVE, did ya?" Jack chuckled, sounding very confident about that statement as a few loaders crashed to the ground. "I'm gonna have a lot of fun watching my bots tear you apart bandit, then, I'm going to come down there and take back my property!" He threatened, making Aki cringe as she knew he was serious.

"Intruder in range. Deploying reinforcements." An automated voice repeated, causing the security system to dispatch even more loader bots around both trespassers as they made a mad dash for the exit...

"Vault hunter... Get down." The voice from earlier warned, the tone and seriousness of it making Aki and her rescuer glance towards each other for a split second before taking cover. In the next instant the battlefield was roaring with explosions as grenade after grenade hit the ground, sending everything that was exposed flying in different directions. Bits and pieces of machinery sailed through the air as the sniper above laughed, shouting and cursing while he continued to launch attacks.

"DIE ASSHOLES! SCREW YOU! VETE AL DIABLO YOU SONS OF BITCHES!!" He screamed, sending one more mortar through the security fence before chuckling. "Take THAT."

A very shocked :0 expression flashed across the assassin's mask as he peeked over the boulder him and Aki were currently hiding behind, the woman next to him also looking very surprised as they surveyed the damage.

"That sure was something..." Aki mumbled, still pretty shocked from the entire ordeal. "I can't thank you enough, um..." She trailed off, staring at the stranger's unique helmet while wondering what was actually underneath it. _Whoever he is, he put his life on the line to save me... And looked amazing while doing it..._ Aki remembered, never seeing anyone with such talent in combat before.

"A test for my skills,/ A satisfying outcome.../ You are most welcome." The man behind the mask spoke, flashing another :) hologram across his helmet before standing. He helped Aki to her feet as well before looking her over, realizing there was no way he could leave the defenseless woman alone out here in enemy territory...

"Allow me to help,/ To escort you, somewhere safe.../" The swordsman explained quickly, feeling nervous for some reason while staring into the brilliant green eyes that were watching him. "And call me Zer0." He finished, cursing his own awkwardness internally while flashing the corresponding number across his mask.

"Nice to officially meet you Zer0..." Aki replied with a grin, her ears perking up happily while finally learning her hero's name. "I'm Aki."

With their introductions now taken care of, the pair disappeared through the facility's exit, heading towards Sanctuary and the rest of the resistance while Handsome Jack watched from above...

...

Back at Sanctuary...

...

Aki glanced around nervously at the residents of the city, noticing instantly how all of them stopped and stared as she and Zer0 walked by. _I guess it's not every day that you see a genetically modified cat girl..._ The woman mused, knowing that she really was a strange sight indeed. _You definitely don't see someone like Zer0 everyday either,_ Aki realized, continuing to follow said man as he lead her through Sanctuary's streets. _I wonder what his story is..._

Before she could wonder about that too long however, the pair arrived at the Crimson Raiders headquarters, both of them heading inside and upstairs towards a rather loud conversation...

"For the last time Lilith, you are NOT coming with us."

"Like hell I'm not!" A woman's voice argued, the harsh tone of it making Aki slightly nervous as her and Zer0 rounded the corner. "You're really going to trust what Angel says? After everything she's already lied to us about?!"

"I don't want to take any chances... I-"

The two people talking stopped as soon as they noticed the arrival of their comrade, everyone in the room feeling slightly apprehensive now that there was another variable present...

"So she's the 'experiment' huh..." A familiar voice spoke, causing Aki's ears to perk up as she recognized it as the one from earlier. She glanced over at the tall, slender man sitting in the shadows as he took a swig from the bottle he was holding, kicking his feet up against a nearby desk while leaning back in his chair. "Tch, how much bullshit are we gonna have to deal with?"

"Chill Mordecai, it's not her fault what happened..." The other woman in the room stated, sending a warning look towards her friend as he continued to drink. "Besides, we can use all the help we can get."

"You're right about that." A deep voice agreed, making everyone look towards the center of the room as the dark skinned man it belonged to began to speak. "If we're going to take down Jack once and for all, then we're going to need help... And someone who's already been on the inside in one of his compounds would be very useful... You got a name soldier?"

"Oh! Uh... Aki. My name is Aki." Said woman answered, glancing around at everyone else while they all eyed her up curiously.

"Well, welcome to the Crimson Raiders Aki... I'm Roland and this is Lilith," The soldier went on, gesturing to both himself and the red headed siren accordingly. "And that drunken scarecrow over there... That's Mordecai."

"Tch..."

"Looks like you've already met Zer0," Roland added, sending a nod towards the assassin before continuing. "There's a few more people that make up our resistance, but for now, if you don't mind, we have some business to attend to... We still need some help getting past the bunker and into Control Core Angel..."

"Another mission?/ I am ready whenever.../ But first, more ammo." Zer0 said smoothly, adjusting his rifle on his back as he spoke.

"Right. Good idea," Roland nodded, pulling a piece of paper towards himself before grabbing something to write with. "Go ahead and stock up on whatever you need, I'll get this letter done and let you know where to delivery it when you get back."

Zer0 nodded once in agreement before heading back towards the door, pausing briefly before glancing towards Aki. He sent the woman a rare :) emote and a wave before leaving, making Lilith raise a brow curiously as she observed the pair.

"You're more than welcome to stay here while you adjust," Roland added, continuing to write while Aki looked his way. "I know it's not much, but at least it's safer than being outside of Sanctuary, with the real bandits..."

"Thank you, really." Aki replied, truly grateful for the kindess. She was a stranger to them. A potential enemy even... And here this group was, offering her a place to stay despite knowing very little about her. "I'll do whatever I can to help out!" She piped up, glancing around at everyone before putting on a very determined face. "Handsome Jack needs to pay for everything he's done..."

The sniper in the corner raised his bottle at her words before taking another long drink, making Lilith shake her head before sighing.

"How about a little tour Aki?" The redhead offered, clasping her hands together in front of herself while sounding a bit stressed. "I could really go for a drink right about now... So first stop, Moxxi's!"

Aki nodded happily as herself and Lilith headed towards the doorway, the smaller of the two very curious about what other surprises the unique city had to offer...

Roland glanced up from his papers briefly while watching the pair go, letting out the breath he'd been holding as Mordecai hiccuped in the corner. At least with Lilith distracted for now, he didn't have to worry so much about her constantly arguing with him, giving the man some time to relax while he considered their next move. With the letter in his grasp finally finished, Roland approached the balcony overlooking Sanctuary, sending a little prayer to whatever was above them as he sighed.

_Let's just hope the 'Slab King' decides to work with us on this one..._

...

 **A/N: I'm so excited to write cute little interactions/meetings between Aki and all the other characters** ❀◕ u ◕❀ **Let me know if you guys have any ideas or suggestions... See you in the next chapter!**


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